The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1887-12-15

- Psthetio-A Grave Dug Ssr . -
Who Was Expectsd - Dis-A 1uaeeo1
intercepted b. Jack Rabbit
rcspvvssAsss. iaal
Many Of the border burials were pe&hsl3s
in the extreme, but connected with some q
them were circumstances 20 unexpectsd thae
their relating almost resolves itself into .
kind Of humor. One Of the first funerals 70
occur at Great Bend, Kansas, possessed un-
precedented circumstances enough 10 mako
it humorous, II the unexpected u an attri-
butte of humor.
An old and somewhat disliked man, Henry
Turley by name, had been confined to his
bed for several weeks by disease which baf.
ded the skill of the would-be physicians who
attended him. He seemed to grow steadily
worse, and his death was hourly expected.
Then, the cold weather, which had CON-
tinued for nearly month, was broken BY Q
few spring-likc days. The citizens Of The
little settlement took Turley's case n
hand and decided that, q his death wao
certain 10 occur in . few days at most,
it was better to take advantage Of Tie
mild weather and dig grave for him than
to await his death and the probable return u
cold weather, when grave digging would b
extremely dimcult. The grave was accord.
ingly dug. Turley was 20 full Of wrath q
having his grave prepared In advanceth that he
rose from his bed, and the same day lsft
town in disgust. It appeared that he had
been shamming all the time, in order to oh
tain free victuals and care. Regrets were
expressed that he had not been buried with.
out waiting for the usual preliminary of
death.
The pleasant weather was soon followed
by severe storm Of snow and sleet. Dur.
ing the first night of the blizzard, bibu-
lously-inclined attorney, Godfrey by name,
OF intoxication, lay out all night In the
snow. Two days later he died from The
effects Of his freezing.
His relatives were telegraphed, and ~
sponded that they would come Immediately.
The storm increased ia violence, and last
ing nearly week, blocked the avenues Of
travel in every direction.
A few days after Godfrey's death, nearly
the entire male population of the settlement
congregated at the combined postofice, o.
loon grocery, &C., to ''swap" stories eat crack
ers end imbibe whiskey. When all hands
were pretty well warmed up, the subject Of
Turley's shameful deception and unoocu-
pied grave was freely discussed. It was de-
cided that such good grave ought not TO b
wasted, and, in order to make use of It, God.
freys remains should be speedily inferred in
it. This met the approval of all present,
and with the rude coffin in one wagon. e
many as could crowd into another and :
number of horsemen at either side ~.
funeral corteee started in tba heav;Iv. .S.,I.,
snow.
severa, time. ~, ~. 49, ..,
m a ,bo- - A.. -. ...
bit and each t;rne ~ Iors.rs. e....s !.sA -
the chase Tha S,.4n.- ~. ,,sos.s.s sss.s - -
rom the .t.,+;n. ,,n;s.. AZ ~ p ~ ~
mourrar. ;,,-,,,.J g.. - ~ 80 ~
49, LaS". JI i,oln 'ns wagon ana slooa
Tn .ae nolsemen ana aog In CHASING the rabbit.
TALLY filled with snow. Then anothsr attor.
new who differed h,t ,;t+I. e., ~. -" =.
~. Ia, -se.'. ~. 80 ~ ,iu.A 1 '-e os,e :.
. ." eAoTp' 'nA' 'ne iat.o. was oeao'
proposed, as tnere was no minister OF the
neral oration. He had hardly pot mors than
we'll started uhor .o,,,o IN. x e,,..S ~ :. 4.
Soe h.d .ts-ta a,oth. s. onS ss.. Sou'u tn'' 'ns
Jug naa s'ared anotner RABBIT.
"mourners' and all, in pursuit of the rsbbit
and dog, leaving teams. coffin and cornaa &,
take cer. of then,soI,,o. ~. S ~ ~
=. .rt;o,.,a. | " oi.ua... sness Ane cnass W.
particularly long and exciting one, as the dog,
while always seeming about to get the rabbit,
failed to do 80.
Left tn themse,v.. tho te.,, .,t .,.a :.
stord;,,. 4, 49, s. W '0on eos uiou "
.'on"e ~, ~ .ne S'orln ana ran away toward
nome. When the crowd struggled back, the
snow had filled the grave and obliterated the
wagon tracks, As the cemeterv consisted ~
oniv that ono o,ovo ord h.S -, 80 .s =.
- j,..;S.:.S e 49, ouu A"u no o.ner inarAs
W oiStiheulsn u Irom the rest OF the prairie,
they were by no means certain of its location
in the snow. 30 they trudped Off home in
the snow and .,r;v.a to t;rT ~. 60. tL.-.
hefn,. th.r. m. s..s., rN".,, 'oe...s .s s..eis
Sn. lug -oosru was out OF
Gne impromptu hearse, and the coffin had
msaPpearea. was not recovered till the
SNOW parlaily melted, more than weak
iaEer.
Inen tne relatives arrived and took the
@ ne1y !ss;,S EasS with A. them, and Iurley's grave
went unnlled till q COW broke her leg BY
falling into the pit. The grave was then pro-
nnounced pubic nuisance and filed up with
um; .,
Inere u little world OF pathos In the SIM
R!e story OF the hrst burial At Lawrence
Kan. Moses Pomeroy arrived from Illinois
in 1854 and Get bravely to work to make
nome ior GEAR one left behind. By dint Of
N vNR orynNh hS1 hos. k<>A